Cold Weather ATV Gear Buyer’s Guide
Make winter your playground.
Let’s face it – winter can be a drag. Here in the Northeast, we’ve already had back to back blizzards with over 100″ of accumulation in a little over a month.
However, when we aren’t being buried alive, there can be some fun ATV (or SxS) adventures to be had in the powder.
When it comes to cold weather riding, staying warm is a big part of the appeal. Fortunately there are a plethora of products out there designed to do exactly that. Let’s take a look at some of the tools we use to turn the winter from “the off-season” to the other half of the riding year.
Rechargeable Heated Jacket
These things didn’t even exist a few years ago and now we’ve come to rely upon them for all day winter adventures like nothing else. With internal heating elements like those in an electric blanket, these things are powered by a rechargeable battery pack like the one found in a phone. We got ours off Amazon for $139.
Heated Grips
Your hands are one of three points the body contacts the machine and, in the case of the ATV especially, the part coming in direct contact with the moving air. Heated grips make sure that steady heat is being pumped against your gloves for the duration of the ride. They average between $100 – $150 a pair, though we have seen sets for as little as $50.
Bar Mitts:
While heated grips are a huge help alone, coupling them to bar mitts can be a lifesaver for two reasons. First – they keep that heat generated inside and second, they block that wind. A good set can be enough of a game changer to not even require the heated grips to be effective. The best thing about these is the price. A good pair can be had for under $30.
Canopy:
Why stop at the bars? An enclosure is a great way to cut down on rider exposure to the elements without adding a whole lot of cost or complexity to the equation. Best of all, they are designed to capture heat rising from the engine without trapping any of the exhaust. The only downside is they do limit visibility. They go for $300 – $800.
Tracks:
To truly go anywhere in the deep, tracks can turn just about any ATV/ SxS into a snowmobile. The only downside to these is that they add weight and require quite a bit of HP to push. Pricing can very wildly depending upon model and quality. We’ve seen them for as little as $300 a pair up up to several thousand for a complete set.
4our Paw:
A bit more affordable than quality tracks and much easier to mount, Paws are as easy as changing a tire since they come pre-mounted to a heavy duty rim. They provide similar grip in the snow to tracks with much less complexity and weight. The only downside to these is that they are scarce. 4orce Mobility was the only place we knew that builds and ships them and now it seems like they can’t be purchased directly anymore. They appear on the secondhand market on occasion and if you see them, snatch them up.
Tire Chains:
Since tracks are expensive and cumbersome and Paws almost nonexistent, chains still represent a great, affordable way for many of us to achieve extra traction for clawing through frozen terrain and ice. Not the best choice, though, if extended pavement happens to be on your route. They can be had for around $50 – $200 a pair.